Crystal Palace

Keeper Kiraly released by Palace
Crystal Palace have allowed keeper Gabor Kiraly to leave the club at the end of his contract. Hungary international Kiraly, 31, signed for Palace from Hertha Berlin in 2004 but talks on a new deal never progressed beyond early stages. Eagles boss Peter Taylor said: "There are different reasons for his release, but we have two keepers on the books. "Julian Speroni is looking good and I'm looking for Scott Flinders to come back and really push on."

Palace trio set to leave Selhurst
Crystal Palace boss Peter Taylor has released a further three players. Following the decision to allow keeper Gabor Kiraly to go, Tommy Black, Danny Granville and Michael Hughes will also be leaving the club this summer. Hughes may still be offered a new deal later in the summer, depending on the club's circumstances. Out-of-contract trio Dougie Freedman, Gary Borrowdale and David Wilkinson have all been offered new contracts by the Selhurst Park club. Taylor said: "Michael Hughes has basically been released, but his is slightly different because I'm really saying that something could also develop later on. "At the moment, I have to give him the honest answer that we can't offer him a contract but if all of a sudden something happened in the summer and I lost a midfielder, there is a chance that I could then gain another midfield player. "It's one of the problems of losing the parachute payment and with players out of contract, you then can't offer them the same terms so that means they are basically a free agent."

Manager denies false story claim
Former Crystal Palace manager Iain Dowie has told the High Court he did not set out to "concoct a false story" about why he left the club. The club is suing Dowie for £1m for alleged "fraudulent misrepresentations" when he joined Charlton on 22 May 2006. He was asked to explain how he at one stage claimed there was no contact with Charlton before he left but mobile phone records proved there had been. In a written defence statement Mr Dowie said the case was "without merit". Compensation Regarding the mobile phone records, he said he had made a mistake and the calls were not about the manager's job. Dowie, who is now manager of Coventry City, told High Court judge Mr Justice Tugendhat his initial recollection was incorrect. Crystal Palace chairman, Simon Jordan, has accused Dowie of lying when he said his reason for leaving the club was to be nearer his family in the north of England. Mr Jordan said he would never have waived the south London club's contractual right to £1m compensation if he had known the manager was planning to move to Charlton, a few miles away. Dowie told the court his first call from Charlton regarding the manager's job was on the evening of 22 May. Asked why he got his dates wrong, he replied: "We all make mistakes." John Davies QC, barrister for Crystal Palace, said: "Or was it because it was your first attempt to concoct a false story?" "No, there was no attempt to concoct a story. I got the dates wrong. It was a mistake. I have nothing to cover up," Dowie replied. Dowie, whose home is in Bolton, left Charlton in November after only 12 matches.

Shots winger injured in friendly
Aldershot are waiting for news on winger Ryan Williams, who was stretchered off during Tuesday's friendly against Crystal Palace. "I will keep positive whilst I await a scan," he told the Shots' website. "My studs got caught in the ground, all the weight has gone through my standing leg as I tried to take off and I got a crunching sensation in my leg. "Touch wood, I am hoping it is a strain or a slight tear, but we will have to wait and see." After Williams was stretchered off in the first half, Palace won the game 2-0, with Ben Watson and Shefki Kuqi on target.

Idizaj poised to make Palace move
Crystal Palace have agreed a deal to sign striker Besian Idrizaj on a 12-month loan deal from Liverpool. The 19-year-old joined the Reds back in the summer of 2005 from Austrian side Linzer ASK. Idrizaj has yet to make his first-team debut for Rafael Benitez's side but has become a regular goalscorer in the reserve team. He also spent two months on loan with Luton last season, when he scored one goal in seven appearances.

Leeds loan Derry back to Palace
Crystal Palace have re-signed defensive midfielder Shaun Derry from Leeds United on loan for two months. The 29-year-old will stay at Selhurst Park until 19 January as he looks to return after eight months out injured. Derry was involved in the Eagles 2005 promotion season to the Premiership, although he was sold to Leeds three months before the play-off final win. He has also previously played for Notts County, Portsmouth, Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest. Derry who joined Leeds for an undisclosed fee has started 75 games for the Elland Road side who have given him permission to play for Palace in the FA Cup. He knows Eagles manager Neil Warnock well from the time he spent at Sheffield United when Warnock was manager there.

Peterborough keen to sign Hughes
Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson is hoping to secure a permanent deal for on-loan Crystal Palace defender Jeff Hughes when the transfer window opens. Ferguson told his club's website: "I would love to get Jeff here permanently. He has done well for us during the time he has been here." The Northern Ireland player joined Palace from Lincoln during the summer but started just four games for Eagles. Hughes, 22, has since made five substitute appearances for the Posh.

Warnock claims monthly accolade
Crystal Palace's Neil Warnock has been named as the Championship's manager of the month for December. Warnock beat off the challenge of Gary Johnson of Bristol City, Tony Pulis of Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion's Tony Mowbray to win the award. The Eagles enjoyed an unbeaten December, picking up 17 points from a possible 21. Warnock last picked up the award in December 2004 when he was in charge of Sheffield United.

Reading's Halls loaned to Palace
Crystal Palace have signed Reading defender John Halls on a month's loan. Halls has struggled to make an impact with the Royals this season, with only three league and cup appearances, and he also had a loan spell at Preston. The 25-year-old, who began his career at Arsenal before moving to Stoke and then the Madejski Stadium, goes into the squad for the game against Wolves. The full-back joins a Palace side just outside the Championship play-off spots thanks to a 13-match unbeaten run.

Leeds and Palace hold Derry talks
Leeds United have confirmed they are in discussions with Crystal Palace about a possible permanent move back to Selhurst Park for Shaun Derry. The 30-year-old midfielder joined Leeds from Palace in 2005 and returned to the Eagles on loan in November last year. That loan spell has now expired and Palace are interested in keeping him. Derry has made 78 appearances for Leeds but his last came as a substitute in their FA Cup tie against West Brom more than a year ago.

Midfielder Danns signs for Palace
Crystal Palace have signed midfielder Neil Danns from Birmingham for an initial fee of £600,000. He has agreed a three-and-a-half-year contract and the eventual fee for the 25-year-old could rise to £850,000 if certain clauses are met. Danns became surplus to requirements under Birmingham manager Alex McLeish. McLeish said: "Neil is a guy who, at this stage of his career, should be getting first-team football and we wish him all the best." Danns joined Birmingham from Colchester for £500,000 in the summer of 2006 but started only 11 league games for the club.

Freedman rules out Leeds transfer
Dougie Freedman says he wants to finish his career with Crystal Palace having ruled out a loan move to Leeds United. The Scottish striker, 33, was wanted by Leeds boss, and fellow countryman, Gary McAllister to bolster their League One promotion push. But Freedman told SSB: "There's been discussions put to me and to the manager from Gary. "I've had a little bit of time thinking about it, but I just feel that I have something to offer Crystal Palace." "With eight or nine games to go it's very tight up there and I feel I've got the qualities to win one or two points for the lads and right now it's the decision I've made. "As long as I keep on playing football for Crystal Palace and get game time then any team is a dead duck. "I want play here. I want to finish my career here. When I stop getting game time for Crystal Palace then I'll consider my options but so far I'm happy to stay. "I am settled here and I've been here a long time. So I'll keep my head down and keep on working for Crystal Palace."

Watson pledges loyalty to Palace
Crystal Palace midfielder Ben Watson says he will stay at Selhurst Park for as long as the club wants him. Watson, 22, scored the second in Saturday's 2-1 win against Colchester, but has been linked with a move away. Watson told SSB: "My future is here. But it's not down to myself. If something happens it's not that I want to leave. "I'm not going to go in banging the gaffer's door down saying that I want to leave, I'll never do that." The former England Under-21 international added: "Hopefully at the end of the season we'll be in the Premier League with Palace." Watson, who has made more than 150 appearances for the Eagles, has scored three times this season to help the club to ninth in the Championship, three points off the play-off positions.

Kuqi set for Ipswich loan return
Ipswich Town have agreed a deal with Championship rivals Crystal Palace to re-sign striker Shefki Kuqi on loan until the end of the season. Kuqi, 31, was recently suspended for a fortnight and fined two weeks wages by Eagles boss Neil Warnock for making an obscene gesture to supporters. The Finland international has been told he has no future at Selhurst Park. Ipswich want a new striker because Jon Walters needs surgery after suffering a cartilage tear in his left knee. The injury could sideline Ipswich's leading scorer for the rest of the season. Kuqi scored 30 goals in 79 league appearances during his first spell in Suffolk before joining Blackburn in 2005. He left Ewood Park after only one season when Palace paid £2.5m to take him to Selhurst Park.

Warnock relishes underdog status
Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock says he is not afraid of the tough fixtures to come in the run-in. The Eagles, a point off the top six, have Blackpool, Scunthorpe and Burnley at home but face tough away games. Warnock told SSB: "Six games to go and we've got some tough games, but I think the tough games are the better ones for us. "Stoke, Watford and Hull are going to have to get wins and I fancy us being the underdogs."

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